Railroad-crossing.



C. A. ZOBEL.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION min MAY 24. I916.

1,244,401; Patented Oct 23,1917.

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RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION. FILED Inn. 1916.

1,244,401. Patented 00* 23.1917.

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C. A. ZOBEL.

RAILROAD CROSSING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 191.6.

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RAILROAD CROSSING. APPLICATION HLED MAY 24. 1916.

1,244,401. Patented Oct. 23,1917.

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RAILROAD-CROSSING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

Application filed May 24, 1916. Serial No. 99,675.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. ZOBEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Smith, in the county of Sebastian and State of Arkansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Crossings, of which is the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a railroad crossing, constructed with a view to maintaining the crossing in efi'ect closed against both trains, with theparts arranged so that a train on either track will open a way for its own passing without afiecting the crossing track, whereby the train will travel on an unbroken rail avoiding pounding, exactly as if the crossing track were not present. 1

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a crossing in which the rails of each track intermediate the outer track, are mounted for sliding movement, andnormally held in contact with such other track, the travel of the trainupon the particular track retracting the sliding rails so as to provide flange-way for such train wheels, the sliding rails automatically returning to closed position succeeding the passage of the train over the crossing.

The invention in the preferred form of detail will be described in the following specification, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the crossing in normal or closed relation; 7

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the crossing adapted for the travel of a train on one track;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view indicating the spring support for the pressure bars;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the slide rails;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the crossing base with the cover plates removed;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of one of the pressure bars;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the same.

The improved crossing comprises a base 1, designed to be appropriately secured to ties or to a proper road bed in any desired manner. The base is generally of rectangular form comprising parallel side sections 2, arranged in opposing pairs to represent the track Way, the side sections being extended beyond the meeting side section in the form of projecting ends 8, to provide a substantial support for the operating parts.

At the juncture of the side sections the base is formed with openings 4, extending entirely through the base and including extensions 5, the inner walls of which aline with the outer edges of the railroad rails, the opening beyond the extensions having a lateral enlargement as at 6. Each section 2 is centrally formed with a rounded channel 7, opening through the bottom of the section, and extending longitudinally of the section to receive a coil spring 8, for a pur pose which will later appear. Each section intermediate the spring channel and the opening 4 is formed with a guide-way 9 which extends transversely of the section from one side edge to the other thereof, so that each opposing pair of sections has a pair of alined guideways adjacent the end of that section.

lVith the base thus formed there is secured upon the surface of the same, a cover plate 10, securely bolted in place and formed with openings 11 to register with the openings 4, slots 12 to register with the guideways 9 and slots 18 to register with the respective ends of the spring channel 7.

On the base are arranged fixed corner pieces 14 of rail formation extending from the point of juncture ofthe side sections 2 outwardly along each extension 3, the corner pieces being partly cut away in an appropriate manner to permit the securing thereto of an attachment plate so that the particular section of the corner piece may be secured to and made a continuation of the rail of the road bed beyond the base. The corner pieces are bolted or otherwise secured to the base so that the outer surface, or What will be the outer edge of the rail extending in line with one section 2. is coincident with the inner edge of the extension 5 of the opening 4.

Secured upon the section 2 of each portion of the base are slide rails, each including duplicate sections 15, 16 of wedge shape in plan, and together forming, in sectional outline, a railroad rail. The sections are so formed that'when extended, so as to com pletely register throughout their wedge formation, they form a perfect railroad rail and the ends thereof'squarely abut the corner pieces so as to perfectly complete the railroad rail from one corner piece to the other.

Each section is formed with spaced depending lugs 17 and 18, which when the sections are in place seat in the respective openings 12 and 13 of the cover plate 10, the lugs 17 of the respective sections passing through the openings 13 in the cover plate and bearing against the ends of the coil springs 8, while the lugs 18 of the respective sections pass through the respective openings 12 in the cover plate and extend into the guide ways 9. The relative sizes of the lugs 17 and 1S and the openings 12 and 13 are such as to permit a limited sliding movement of the sections.

Pressure bars 15) and 20 are arranged along side of each rail, that is each sliderail and section of the corner piece, extending beyond the latter along side of the main rail as may be desired. The pressure bars are of distinct types, in that one is formed with a lateral offset 20 having a lateral recess 21 centrally thereof, the rear wall of the recess being cut away to present a vertical opening 21 having a stepped bottom wall 22. The opposing pressure bar is straight throughout its length in plan, lacking the lateral offset 20 of the first mentioned bar, being however formed with a vertical opening 21, and stepped bottom edge thereof 22. These pressure bars having the particular formation described at appropriate points to lit in the openings 4, are arranged along side of the rails throughout the crossing and beyond the same, the first mentioned pressure bars resting in one of the extensions 5 and enlargements (3, while the other or last mentioned pressure bar extends at right angles to the first, crossing it in the stepped opening 21. The last mentioned or straight pressure bars overlie the first mentioned pressure bars in the openings 4:, the formation and arrangement of the parts being such that the crossing pressure bars are so spaced from each other that the upper or superimposed pressure bars may be depressed withoutaffecting the remaining pressure bars.

The extreme ends of the pressure bars are supported on spring plates 23, underlying the main rails and supported on wear plates 2-1 secured upon the ties The spring plates normally support the pressure bars above the main rails, the extreme ends of said bars being rounded off to permit the wheels to bear upon the same and depress said bars throughout their length, for the purpose which will later appear.

Extending longitudinally of the base in parallelism to each section 2, and through the respective guide-ways 9 of the base are operating rods 26, there being thus provided a pair of such rods for each track-way. The rods extending in one direction or for one trackway have off-set portions 27 to pass beneath the similar rods for the other trackway. The ends of the rods are provided with triangular heads 28, having rollers 29 for travel upon any suitable smooth support. Setting rods 30 extend transverse each track-way having an off-set portion 31 with inclined end portions 32, the latter being pro vided with rollers 33 to bear against the outside walls of the heads 28. The setting rods extend beneath the main track and are secured at 3i to the pressure rods 19.

As thus described it will be understood that the slide-rails are held at the extreme limit of movement, that is against the rails or the corner pieces under the influence of the springs 8, closing all tracks, and with the slide-rails in this position the pressure bars are maintained elevated above the track rails, and the setting bars are so positioned that their rollers 33 are at the upper ends of the walls of the heads 28, permitting the operating rods 26, which bear against the relatively outer sides of the lugs 18 of the slide-rails to be held at their extreme outward limit of movement, that is, at the limit of movement toward the adjacent rail.

Assuming a train to be riding upon the track, it will first depress the pressure rods, this movement due to the rigidity of the rods being transmitted to the opposite side of the crossing. The depression of these pressure rods forces down the setting rods, causing the rollers 33 to move downwardly thereby moving the operating rod inwardly, and withdrawing the setting rails from contact with the corner pieces to provide flangeway for the moving train. The remaining slide-rails, however, are not in any way affected, and by remaining in their normal or original position insure a continuous track.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. A railroad crossing including a base, corner pieces secured thereon forming the terminals of the main rails on the base, sliderails forming the rail continuation between the corner pieces on the base, springs for maintaining the slide rails extended in con- 1.10 tact with the corner pieces, operating bars engaging the slide-rails, pressure bars arranged along side the main rails to be depressed by a train, and connections whereby said pressure bars actuate the operating bars.

A railroad crossing including a base, corner pieces secured thereon, openings formed in the base, slide-rails arranged intermediate the corner pieces, pressure bars extending along side the slide-rails and cornor pieces, the pressure bars of one trackway crossing the pressure bars of the other, connections intermediate the pressure bars and slide-rails, said pressure bars being formed with off-sets at their crossing points, said base being formed with openings to permit movement of the pressure bars at their offset points.

3. A railroad crossing including a base, corner pieces secured thereon, openings formed in the base, slide-rails arranged intermediate the corner pieces, pressure bars extending along side the slide-rails and corner pieces, the pressure bars of one trackwey crossing the pressure bars of the other, connections intermediate the pressure bars and slide-rails, said pressure bars being formed with offsets at their crossing points, said base being formed with openings to per- 10 mit movement of the pressure bars at their C. A. ZOBEL.

Witnesses:

F RED PFINDLER, H. B. SORUGGS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

